Deep Robotics Quadrupeds Enter Service at Switzerland’s Leibstadt Nuclear Plant

Quadruped robots developed by Hangzhou-based Deep Robotics（云深处科技）have been introduced at Switzerland’s Leibstadt Nuclear Power Plant to assist with equipment inspections and digital maintenance, according to a company announcement.

The project places Chinese-built legged robots in a highly regulated European industrial facility, although neither the number of robots nor the value and duration of the deployment was disclosed. Deep Robotics also did not identify the model used in its English-language announcement.

Leibstadt, known as KKL, is Switzerland’s most powerful nuclear power station. The plant has operated for more than 40 years and supplies roughly one-seventh of the country’s electricity.

Deep Robotics said its robots work with technicians along pre-planned inspection routes, navigating slopes, steps, narrow passages and equipment-dense areas that are difficult for conventional wheeled machines to reach. Thermal-imaging and acoustic sensors allow the robots to collect information on equipment temperatures and unusual sounds, supplementing manual inspections.

The inspection data are transferred to an on-premises management system inside the plant’s secure network, without external transmission, according to the company. This arrangement is intended to comply with the facility’s cybersecurity and data-governance requirements.

A representative of KKL’s mechanical engineering department, quoted in the company announcement, said the deployment had supported the plant’s digital and automated maintenance initiatives. Deep Robotics said the parties were considering additional applications, but noted that any expansion would remain subject to operational validation and regulatory review.

The deployment should not be interpreted as a nuclear-safety certification of the robot itself. No information has been released about regulatory approval, the specific areas of the plant in which the robots operate or whether they have entered radiation-controlled zones. KKL had also tested robotic dogs and other robotic systems before the latest Deep Robotics project.

The announcement comes as Zhejiang strengthens its position in China’s emerging legged- and humanoid-robot export market. Zhejiang exported CNY 430 million, or approximately USD 60 million, of products classified as smart bionic robots in the first half of 2026, accounting for 60.2% of China’s total export value in the category, according to Hangzhou Customs.

The customs category covers products including quadruped and humanoid robots and is not limited to Deep Robotics. China introduced a dedicated national tariff subheading for smart bionic robots on January 1, making the first-half figures an early snapshot under the new classification rather than evidence of a long-term export trend.

Still, the Leibstadt project illustrates an important step in the overseas expansion of Chinese robotics companies. Deep Robotics is exporting not only robot hardware but also an integrated inspection system combining mobility, sensors, local data processing and industrial software.

For Chinese robot manufacturers, overseas industrial sites may offer a more durable route to commercialization than demonstration-driven consumer applications. Success will depend on documented operating performance, local service capacity, cybersecurity compliance and regulatory acceptance. The Swiss deployment provides Deep Robotics with a notable European reference project, but broader claims about reliability or leadership will require longer operating records and additional independently verified installations.